Shoot, I should have taken a pic but here goes anyway. I seem to have some oil slowly seeping out of the spark plug hole second from the radiator, in my F engine. I pulled the plug today and the electrode was dry. What evil might I be up against? On a related or unrelated note, I'm blowing some white smoke immediately on start up...
Oil seeping out of spark plug hole...
- Thread starter sproggy
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If the white smoke is wispy and only occurs at start up, it's probably just an accumulation of condensation.
If the white smoke continues after start up, it could be more serious, head gasket, cracked head, etc.
Google "what does white smoke mean".
Regarding your 'oil out the spark plug hole'... You seem to be saying the electrode is dry and, yet, oil is seeping out of the spark plug hole. Not sure how that's possible... Unless the oil is pooling around the spark plug... From another location.
If the white smoke continues after start up, it could be more serious, head gasket, cracked head, etc.
Google "what does white smoke mean".
Regarding your 'oil out the spark plug hole'... You seem to be saying the electrode is dry and, yet, oil is seeping out of the spark plug hole. Not sure how that's possible... Unless the oil is pooling around the spark plug... From another location.
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Rocker cover leak? Need pics mate.
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pics! pics! Ok, the first pic is the "oil out of spark plug hole" pic. Then I noticed the oil coming from the valve cover and snapped some pics of that for kicks. The last pic, well, I can't recall what this little doohikey is/does and I notice I have a bunch of wires going nowhere. Is it perhaps a switch for off-road lights which I did have at one point? As for the oil leaking from the valve cover, do I need to care? As you can see, the truck is not a showpiece and I am not interested in it becoming one. So if this slow leak from the valve cover means just check the oil every now and again, I would leave it be. The oil from the plug…what the heck? This photo shows the scene after I had wiped it up with a rag. The oil certainly does not seem to be coming from the valve cover, right? Ugh...
I think @cult45 is correct... The spark plug oil is most likely from the valve cover gasket.
Replacing a valve cover gasket is very easy... I would replace it... Get one from @beno.
But, that's up to you.
The green wire, in pic 3 is shorting to the valve cover... I assume the valve cover is aluminum... So, no real short. But, the wire should, at least, be wrapped with electrical tape.
I'm not sure what your doohickey is... Looks like a relay of some sort... I don't know if it's needed or not.
Enjoy your deep woods baking.
Replacing a valve cover gasket is very easy... I would replace it... Get one from @beno.
But, that's up to you.
The green wire, in pic 3 is shorting to the valve cover... I assume the valve cover is aluminum... So, no real short. But, the wire should, at least, be wrapped with electrical tape.
I'm not sure what your doohickey is... Looks like a relay of some sort... I don't know if it's needed or not.
Enjoy your deep woods baking.
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@beno now has a $100 minimum order. You can buy a decent FelPro VC gasket from RockAuto, or a decent A/M gasket from FJParts or CruiserOutfitters. But buy one...and install it. And take some steel wool to that VC while you're at it!
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Yeah I'm not so sure now I've seen pics. There's oil on the edge of the valve cover above the plug, but not on the head above the plug. There's no doubt the valve cover gasket needs doing, so you may as well do that.
But that leak. On my '70 I ended up doing an engine swap cause my original donk had a heap of blow by, so much that it pumped oil out the valve cover and onto my exhaust. Needless to say this wasn't a pleasant driving experience. Did a comp check and that thing was toast - 90 psi across all six. My point is, that maybe, unfortunately, you have some oil working it's way up past the rings. Can you run a comp gauge over her?
Also, your engine is so close to the firewall! I don't recall my F being that close!
But that leak. On my '70 I ended up doing an engine swap cause my original donk had a heap of blow by, so much that it pumped oil out the valve cover and onto my exhaust. Needless to say this wasn't a pleasant driving experience. Did a comp check and that thing was toast - 90 psi across all six. My point is, that maybe, unfortunately, you have some oil working it's way up past the rings. Can you run a comp gauge over her?
Also, your engine is so close to the firewall! I don't recall my F being that close!
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- #11
haha no kidding, right? Where are those 3 monkeys when you need them.
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- #12
Hey, sorry all. I for some reason didn't get any notices sent to my email from the forum alerting me to the replies so I got back here late.…and here it begins…now my engine is too close to the firewall…gonna have to shorten the engine. damn it! I'm thinking that pic where it appears the engine is so close must be an illusion. I'll take another pic tomorrow that shows it better, just for fun. Hey, maybe I got the extended F engine? As for the green wire, I'll take a closer look at where it's going/what it does. I rather think it's not hooked up to anything right now but I certainly could be wrong.
For what it's worth, the engine seems to run pretty strong to me. I mean, I am quite satisfied with the power and acceleration I have. If the compression was low in all cylinders, or many of them, wouldn't I be feeling sluggish? I'll check into a compression test. If oil is indeed slipping by the ring(s), am I soon to be doomed?
How easy is it to screw up replacing the VC gasket? I'm terrified of what I might find under there….gremlins, miasma, the devil himself. For sure some screw or nut will be just laying around that I have no idea where it goes.
For what it's worth, the engine seems to run pretty strong to me. I mean, I am quite satisfied with the power and acceleration I have. If the compression was low in all cylinders, or many of them, wouldn't I be feeling sluggish? I'll check into a compression test. If oil is indeed slipping by the ring(s), am I soon to be doomed?
How easy is it to screw up replacing the VC gasket? I'm terrified of what I might find under there….gremlins, miasma, the devil himself. For sure some screw or nut will be just laying around that I have no idea where it goes.
The "smoke" might easily be caused by the valve guides leaking--oil runs down the valve stem into the combustion chamber and poof! you have oil burning when the engine starts--it usu clears up in a minute or so with heat, not to be seen again til the engine stops and cools down again--
Could be just the seals need to be replaced-Since the plug is clean, it makes sense that the issue is only temporary at startup.
Your valve cover IS leaking-I suspect the oil is coming from there.
The mystery relay almost looks like a horn relay--it has the right number of connections--
Could be just the seals need to be replaced-Since the plug is clean, it makes sense that the issue is only temporary at startup.
Your valve cover IS leaking-I suspect the oil is coming from there.
The mystery relay almost looks like a horn relay--it has the right number of connections--
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- #14
If it was oil burning wouldn't it make black smoke…and not white? It has indeed been quite humid lately, here in Massachusetts, as Pngunme mentioned it might just be condensation.
Is that a stock looking horn relay?
Hey sorry for all the dumb questions all. It's been a while since I've messed with the truck much…a couple decades so I'm…rusty.
If you DO shorten the engine, wait until you've done a compression test. Then, remove the cylinder with the lowest psi.
THAT was a joke!! Don't shorten the engine... Push the firewall back where it belongs.
THAT was also a joke!!
I doubt @cult45 was serious... I could be wrong.
The relay could easily be a horn relay... I've never actually paid attention to mine.
As cult45 said, serious blowby can cause a lot of oil being flooded back on top of the rockers... Mine (pre rebuild) blew the oil filler plug out and blew oil all over my engine compartment and headers... I fogged the whole area with white smoke... From burning it off the 450* headers.... And almost choked to death.
A compression test is merely a series of steps, using a compression tester... You can generally 'rent' one from most auto parts stores... They typically refund your 'rent' when you return it. I'd do compression tests : dry then wet (e.g. squirt a few drops of oil into each cylinder, as you retest. Write your dry and wet numbers down and report back.
I'm not sure just what psi you are shooting for, with an F engine.
If the compression test looks bad, you can do a leakdown test to figure out the next step. A leakdown test requires a bit more (tools and knowledge)... You might just pay some shop to do the leakdown... I had a quote locally for $80.
Regarding your question and "wouldn't I notice if the compression was low?"... You said you haven't driven it much in years... Would you notice? Also, @FJ40Jim (the Cruiser Whisperer) says, the F engine is a tractor engine, it's too stupid to die".
If you had been driving it all along, you may have noticed a decline... Bu, we're assuming the compression is low... Maybe it's not... Maybe the white smoke is only condensation... Especially if it only occurs at start-up.
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Lol!! Omg shorten the engine!! I choked on my salad.
Go the comp test. Also, the VC gasket is a cinch. 20 mins max unless you're me, then 45.
PS. Don't tell anyone I ate salad.
Go the comp test. Also, the VC gasket is a cinch. 20 mins max unless you're me, then 45.
PS. Don't tell anyone I ate salad.
Are you sure that it's not oil spilled from the last fill or oil change? It's right in front of the filler neck.
The pic was taken after the rag wipe so that could affect how we're seeing it. You could always give the engine a good degreasing and then keep a close eye on it. That would make doing any work on it nicer/cleaner also. Dusting with talcum powder is another trick used to track down slow weeping leaks.
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- #19
My poor Junk Yard Dog. I would not notice if the performance had declined, most likely. It just feels zippy to me, strong. Let's hope so. I'm interested to check the compression now. If it's low…so it will be low and I will drive it that way until I can't for whatever reason. But yeah, I'll check it. If my memory serves me well, I had a compression tester at some point, maybe still do. It's kind of a small thing, isn't it? Am I "squirting" 10w-40 oil in there, just a few drops? This is with the engine off and then I start it or just turn the key for a bit? Well, I'll google that info and def will report back when I get it done.
It is not oil from filling it for sure as I haven't filled it! And the rag wipe didn't alter what we're seeing, as far as I can tell. If I can recall, I had noticed the oil a week or two ago and wiped it away without much thought. Then I noticed it had reappeared which prompted in my head the "wtf?"
It is not oil from filling it for sure as I haven't filled it! And the rag wipe didn't alter what we're seeing, as far as I can tell. If I can recall, I had noticed the oil a week or two ago and wiped it away without much thought. Then I noticed it had reappeared which prompted in my head the "wtf?"
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- #20
Since I have the ear of some folks, particularly cult45, I'll throw this digression into the mix: I live in Thailand most of the time and have seen a red FJ45 propping up the daisies, half buried under varying pieces of farm equipment and debris (of course!) at an old folks home where I go a few times a week to read a book to an old lady. I got so excited when I first saw it and all I can really recall right now is it has the newer style front fender lights…not the single lens style like on my '71 so it is newer than that. Anyhow, do to lack of funds and knowing what a economic sink hole it would be I had to put it out of my mind and carry on with LIFE. But, being back in the States for this 3 month spell and kicking around again in my 40 (and reading some of cult45's HUGE thread about his 45) I got to thinking about it again…and want you guys to push me into doing something really stupid like trying to acquire it so I can finally learn all the good cuss words in Thai. I'm really worried about parts availability in Thailand…or the crazy cost involved in importing them from Australia. Anyhow….an FJ45! I'll be back there in a month.
